gathering at the water's edge: a conversation with the team at St. Michael’s Printshop
Join us on Saturday, April 13 from 12-1:15PM at the Tina Dolter Gallery or ONLINE for a conversation moderated by SMP Board Chair Andrew Testa between Executive Director Christeen Francis, and Emily Critch, curator of gathering at the water's edge. Topics of conversation will include the history of St. Michael’s Printshop the past 50 years, working with the archives to produce this exhibition and the curatorial process, and further plans and exhibitions dedicated to celebrating the 50th anniversary of St. Michael’s Printshop.
Andrew’s Bio:
Andrew Testa (he/him) is a settler artist, writer, educator, and amateur spoon carver gratefully living and working as an uninvited guest in Elmastukwek, Ktaqmkuk (Bay of Islands, Newfoundland). He is the Chair at St. Michael’s Printshop, Vice-Chair of CB Nuit, and is an Assistant Professor in printmaking at Grenfell Campus, Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Christeen Bio:
Christeen Francis is a printmaker and musician based in St John’s, Ktaqmkuk (Newfoundland) where she works as director of St Michael's Printshop. She is committed to social and political print that engages with local communities and the public at large. She has exhibited in Canada, the United States, Germany, and Iceland, and is a member of Justseeds Artist Cooperative
Emily Critch (they/she) is a Mi’kmaw + settler curator, writer, and artist from Elmastukwek, Ktaqmkuk Territory (Bay of Islands, NL), and they currently work remotely as Adjunct Curator with the Owens Art Gallery. Their recent curatorial projects include Daze Jefferies first major solo exhibition stay here stay how stay with The Rooms, gathering at the water's edge: visiting artists of st. michael’s printshop (2024) at the Tina Dolter Gallery, and falling through our fingers (2023) and these are our monuments (2021) with the Owens Art Gallery. Their upcoming curatorial projects this year include eltu’n klaman mukwite’ten | making to remember at the Demasduit Regional Museum, and Jerry Evans: Mimajuaqne’kati | Place of Life with the Owens Art Gallery. Critch has published exhibition texts, reviews, and essays with several venues including Eastern Edge, The Rooms, Eyelevel, and Visual Arts News. Her artistic and curatorial practices have received support from ArtsNL and Canada Council for the Arts. They were the A.C. Hunter Public Library’s inaugural Indigenous Storyteller in Residence (2023).